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By W. H., Bassett

IN January, 1926, the writer began a study of the commercial value of beryllium in its relation to copper. The purpose of the investigation was not to make a mere laboratory study of the characteristics of beryllium-copper alloys, but to determine under mill conditions the behavior of copper when alloyed with beryllium and when other metals were added to such alloys; in other words, it was considered important to know whether the alloy bars could be hot-rolled or cold-worked, and what limits in composition would have to be established for these two methods of working. Consequently, more stress has been placed on the practical application of the alloys in engineering and commercial use than on a discussion of the metallography of the specimens examined, although this part of the matter has not been entirely neglected. Credit should be first given to G. Oesterheld,1 who, in 1916, published the copper-beryllium equilibrium diagram. Fig. 1 has been copied from the original article with the simple substitution of English words. It will be noted from Fig. 1 that alpha solid solutions are formed, up to about 1.5 per cent. Be (10.5 atom.). The freezing-point curve, after falling from 4.2 per cent. Be (23.5 atom.), enters into a very complicated form over the entire beta region. There is a possible compound, Cu2Be, at about 6.5 per cent. Be (32.3 atom.). The pure gamma range extends from 11.2 to 12.2 per cent. Be. (46.5 to 49 atom.), after which the liquidus rises rapidly to 30 per cent. Be. (75 atom.). The delta solution extends from 25 per cent. to an unknown percentage of beryllium. There is a eutectoid point at 575" C., extending from 1.5 to 11.2 per cent. Be., the maximum time interval of which occurs at 6 per cent. Be. Below this line the beta solution is described as breaking up into alpha and gamma. Microscopically, the eutectiferous alloy thus formed closely resembles pearlite, and requires a high magnification for its resolution.

Jan 1, 1927

"Mining as an industry of Utah had its inception in the activities of United States soldiers who came to the Salt Lake valley under the command of Gen. P. E. Connor, founder of Fort Douglas, in October, 1862. Many of these soldiers were from California and naturally employed their spare time in the search for minerals. Although their military status did not permit them to make locations in their own names, they assiduously prospected the region in accordance with their own knowledge and with information conveyed to them by Indians and others. Their efforts were encouraged by their commander, who thereby fairly earned the title of father of the industry here, and by their other officers, and many discoveries that subsequently proved of great value were made by the soldiers.No systematic prospecting or mining had been done in the Territory previously, although early Mormon settlers in the southern portion had mined a little ore from time to time in order to provide supplies of lead for bullets. The Mormon leaders at that time did not encourage mining. They held that agriculture was more important and profitable for their followers.Coal was discovered and produced in 1850. Iron was discovered in 1850 and the first iron plant was in operation in 1852 in Iron County. The first non-ferrous metal production was in 1854, in Beaver County, when Isaac Grundy treated ore from the Rollins mine in what is said to have been the first lead furnace west of the Rocky Mountains. The first mineral location was the West Jordan claim in Bingham canyon, located September 17, 1863, now owned by the United States Smelting, Refining & Mining Co., and still productive. The first district organized in the state was the West Mountain (Bingham), December I 7, 1863. Other important districts of early organization are: Little Cottonwood, December 20, 1869; Big Cottonwood, July 11, 1870; American Fork, July 21, 1870; Uintah (Park City), July 8, 1871; Tintic, December 13, 1896; Ophir, August 6, 1870. The first silver-lead smelting was by J. W. Gibson at Stockton in 1866. Lieut. James Finnerty had previously erected two small trial furnaces there, but made no quantity production."

Jan 1, 1925

Victor G. Hills, Cripple Creek, Colo. (communication to the Secretary): In continuation of the subject of the perform ance of "baby machine-drills," presented by Mr. Thane, I sub mit the following records of work done with these drills in the Cripple Creek district of Colorado. Two years ago, the Anchoria-Leland mine began to use baby drills ; and, to make the experiment more complete, began by purchasing two machines, of the same size, but of different make. The little drills were first used for stoping and up raising, in which they achieved at once an unqualified success. Soon after, they began to be used for the smaller branch-drifts and prospecting cross-cuts, while the large two-man drills were still used for the main drifts. Now they have almost entirely superseded the large drills, since it has been found that they will do any ordinary work in the mine at less cost, both for labor and for powder, per ton of rock broken. The large drills, of course, make more rapid progress; but it is only where time is a specially important factor that they are now used. The Portland mine, where, until within a year, only the large machines were used, is now using some small drills for stoping, and also for drifting. Mr. Thane speaks of having two men to operate a baby-drill; but in this district the baby-machine is always worked by one man without help. Again, in Prof. Christy's postscript, the quoted extract from a letter of Mr. L. T. Seymour, the South African engineer, mentions a " 2 1/2-inch Little Giant," as though that were the smallest machine used in that region. These statements leave some doubt as to just what Mr. Thane means by a " baby-drill." To avoid any such uncertainty as to the present communication, I will say that the large or two-man drill in common use at Cripple Creek has a 3 1/8-inch cylinder; while a few mines employ a 3-inch, and a few, in running large tunnels, a 3 1/2-inch drill. What we call a baby-drill here has a

Jan 1, 1900

By Gary A. Kordosky

Winning copper from oxide ores usually involves hydrometallurgical techniques. The processes involved are the leaching of copper from the ore and the recovery of the leached copper from the aqueous solution.

Jan 1, 1981

By N. A. Gjostein

From their study of the anisotropy of grain boundary mobility in aluminum, the authors conclude that tilt boundaries have a higher mobility than twist boundaries because the atomic misfit at the pure-twist boundary is relatively small compared to the misfit at a tilt boundary for a given amount of misorientation. If this is true, then one would expect a twist boundary to have a lower grain boundary energy than the corresponding tilt boundary. Fig. 6, taken from the work of Gjostein and Rhines,10 shows that this is indeed the case for [001]-cu tilt and twist boundaries in the high-angle region, thus lending support to the authors' conclusion.

Jan 1, 1968

By Oliver Bowles

SUPERFLUOUS varieties and standards which are meriting the critical scrutiny of the manufactur-ing industry have a special significance in the non-metallic mining industries, where, many of the final or intermediate products are manufactured at the mine or quarry. Such processes of manufacture must be considered an integral part of mining in its broader sense. Improvements may be either elimination or standardization. - The chief requirement of elimi-nation is an agreement between consumers and pro-ducers based on facts deduced from: statistical data. Standardization is much, more complex. Standards .may be established only when a very; thorough knowledge has been gained of the physical and chemical properties of the products, and the requirements of consumers. The activities of the Bureau of Standards are. largely directed toward such determinations. Paving-brick manufacturers, together with highway engineers, representatives of certain engineering socie-ties, and Government bureaus, have agreed that of the 66 styles of paving brick on the market 11 only are, essential and 55 are superfluous. Steps have been taken to reduce the output of -all but the 11 standard types. It is customary for manufacturers of structural slate to prepare it in sizes specified by builders and architects. Thus the material cannot be manufactured in advance and the result is irregular activity of mills, delays in filling orders, etc. To improve this condition, the Structural Slate Co. has issued a series of pamphlets giving complete specifications of structural slate for various purposes. Architects find it so much easier .to, order slate from these sheets that standard sizes are specified in preparing plans for new structures. Slate switchboards are usually manufactured after. the order has been received. One manufacturer claims that 80 per cent. of all switchboards are of standard sizes, and he keeps such sizes in stock. The facility with which orders may be filled from stock, and the improved quality of seasoned switchboards, will undoubtedly influence electrical, companies toward a more uniform standardization in size. Simplicity, could be further attained by the elimination of minor irregularities in .style; for example, in the beveled. edges.

Jan 2, 1922

By H. J. Struth

The benefits of proration of oil production were perhaps more concretely realized in 1932 than at any time since the oil industry adopted nation-wide production control. Reduced output of crude petroleum, which brought the daily average of the United States down to approximately 2,000,000 bbl. from a peak in 1931 of more than 2,600,000, had a telling effect on the trend of oil prices. Mid-Continent crude was advanced in price from 776, for 36-gravity oil, to $1.04 a barrel. California crude, of 26-gravity at Signal Hill, moved forward from 736 to 976 a barrel. Pennsylvania crude, the only exception to the upward trend, rose in price from $1.82 per barrel to $2.02, only to react to $1.72. This was due to local conditions which necessitated an adjustment to overcome competition from other areas of the United States. East Texas continued to exert a far-reaching influence on the crude and gasoline market during 1932. Despite the fact that oil prices were advanced in most fields, large quantities of oil were produced in East Texas in violation of state proration orders, and sold in the market at prices considerably below official postings. This created competitive conditions in the gasoline market that were felt by all refining centers of the United States. The quantity of gasoline produced from cheap East Texas crude was not large, but the volume was sufficient to influence prices in practically all sections of the country. Thus, while the industry's' economic situation showed visible improvement statistically, the unreported and unseen statistics originating in East Texas proved to be an insurmountable obstacle to the economic betterment that was otherwise apparently justified. Somewhat surprising to many was the fact that gasoline consumption was maintained within 10 per cent of the preceding year. Domestic consumption showed only a net decline under 1931 of about 8.5 per cent; exports dropped in volume to the extent of about 23 per cent. As a matter of fact, domestic gasoline consumption was only about 1.4 per cent less than it was in the predepression year of 1929. Exports, however,

Jan 1, 1933

By H. A. Gardner

THE principal use of barium sulphate is as an inert paint pigment.. For this purpose, the ground material is used both in its natural and in its artificial forms. Probably the largest amount is used in the production of a chemically precipitated pigment called lithopone which consists of 70 parts of barium sulphate and 30 parts of zinc sulphide. An enormous tonnage-of this pigment is at the present time being used in the manufacture of interior flat wall paints of the oil type, such paints having almost entirely supplanted the use of corroded white lead which was at one time used for interior painting. The more dense nature, lower price and sanitary value of lithopone was responsible for this change. Lithopone is, moreover, used to a large extent in the manufacture of oil cloth, shade cloth and linoleum. Its whiteness makes it of particular value for this purpose. Barium sulphate is also used of itself in admixture with other pigments in the manufacture of prepared paints. The chemically precipitated form of barium sulphate, which is generally called blanc fixe, is also used for this purpose. Much controversy has raged in the paint world over the question of inert pigments such as barytes, silica, asbestine and china clay. These pigments are probably called inert because they have no chemical action upon the linseed oil in which they are ground to produce paints, and on account of the fact that they become transparent in oil. It is well known that in the manufacture of paints, opaque white pigments, such as basic carbonate white lead, basic sulphate white lead, zinc oxide etc., are generally used as the grinding base. These base pigments, when ground in oil, react therewith to some slight extent, and they produce white paints which have excellent biding or obscuring value. The inert pigments so-called, when ground in oil and spread out into a thin film, form transparent coatings which have no hiding power. It has been contended, therefore, that the use of barytes or similar inert pigments in paints is resorted to simply for the purpose of cheapening the cost of the product.

Jan 9, 1914

By T. B. Massalski, Horace Pops

Martensitic transformations were observed by optical metallography and electrical-resistivity measurements during cooling at cryogenic temperatures of the bcc pr-phase Au-Zn alloys. The com-position dependence of the MS, MF, AS , and AF temperatures have been determined. It is concluded that the martensitic platelets which grow mainly in the lengthwise direction and which are associated with a very small temperature hysteresis are "thermoelastic" martensite. In some cases the observed structure seems to have no definite crys-tallographic habit or consists of a mixture of- plates and broad transformed areas. THE majority of the bcc /3-phase alloys in systems of copper, silver, and gold with zinc and cadmium are unstable at low temperatures and undergo a transformation upon further cooling into another structure. A large number of such transformations are martensitic. The composition dependence of the Ms temperatures has been determined and reported for CU-~n,' Ag-Cd,' and AU-C~~ alloys. The 50 at. pct ordered Au-Zn p' alloy has been reported by Jan and pearson4 to transform martensitically at 58°K in connection with their study of the de Haas-van Alphen effect The p' phase in the Au-Zn system has the ordered CsC1-type structure. The phase field is shown in Fig. 1: it has the typical V shape which is characteristic of all copper-, silver-, and gold-based binary /3-phase alloys. There appears to be no a priori reason why the transformation should be limited to the equiatomic composition and the availability of a cryogenic stage for optical metallography5 has permitted studies down to the liquid-helium temperature of a series of alloys in this system. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Predetermined weights of 99.999 pct pure gold and zinc were melted and cast under a partial atmosphere of helium in sealed quartz capsules. Thorough mixing of the molten metals was achieved by vigorous shaking, followed by a rapid quench into a brine solution. All ingots were homogenized at 640°C for 4 days. The loss in weight was usually less than 0.04 wt pct and was assumed to be due to

Jan 1, 1965

By H. C. Spaulding

Every constructing engineer and designer knows how often it is desirable to provide a speed-adjustment between parts of a machine performing different functions, or between a prime mover and the devices to which it furnishes power, and how bulky and unsatisfactory are most of the methods by which the result is usually accomplished. Of course the step-pulley is the most simple and generally used. It requires, (1) parallelism of shafts; (2) a considerable distance between centers; and (3) a cessation of power during the change from one speed to another. Add to this the necessity for careful design in order to obtain equal belt-tension for all positions; the weight and hulk required for a wide range; and the operative's positive conviction that better results could be obtained at a speed intermediate between those furnished by two successive steps, and we begin to realize the mechanical shortcomings of this old and familiar friend. The hundred and one other devices, patented and otherwise, for accomplishing similar results, present other objections of varying importance, which need not be discussed here. Without pretending to overcome these entirely, and indeed without claiming absolute novelty, a recent invention of Mr. E. F. Gordon, of Dover, N. H., has seemed to the writer to offer such advantages in flexibility and range of application as to merit a more extended study and use than can be given in his own work, to which it is being applied as rapidly as opportunity permits. It is placed before the members of the Institute, not only to bring out an expression of opinion as to its limitations, but also with the hope that it will thus find opportunities for applications hitherto untried and outside the scope of operation of those at present interested in its development. Simply stated, the device consists of a narrow pulley with a deep V-groove, split by a plane passing through the bottom of the groove, one of the two symmetrical parts so formed being fixed to the shafts, and the second being capable of adjustment so as to bring the

Jan 1, 1893

By Wilford Stork

CERTAIN influences of oxygen on iron have been known for many years and it has always been considered one of the worst enemies of the iron and steel founders. Nobody had a good word for it, hence little was done to make use of this oxygen. In all the fields of foundry practice, the desideratum was "melt without oxidation of the metal." In the consideration of the influence of oxygen on cast iron, we must not confuse this condition with oxidized iron caused by poor melting conditions, due to a high bed, heavy charges, low coke ratio, excessive melting rate, high blast, or poor charging. It is admitted that oxygen absorbed by iron melted under these conditions has a deleterious effect on the properties of the iron. The writer has had experience both in the melting under such poor conditions and in remedying these bad conditions and considers the product far inferior to iron melted under normal conditions. As stated by Dr. Richard Moldenke,1 such iron has a higher melting point and high combined carbon, is sluggish, and contains slags and oxides in solution in the liquid, causing slag inclusions and gas occlusions, thus producing defective castings. This oxidized condition cannot be counteracted or removed by any of the known deoxidizers; it can be remedied only by proper melting conditions. Such iron is really burned, whereas the iron considered in this paper was melted under normal conditions with moderate blast, correct bed height, light charges of iron, and low coke consumption and is not in this category at all. In 1914, the late J. E. Johnson, Jr., startled the metallurgists of the world when he published his results on the advantages of oxygen on cast iron.2 His work is so convincing and so logical, in spite of the common and well-established notions on the subject, that nobody has been able to refute a single argument. Such an eminent authority on iron and steel metallurgy as Prof. H. M. Howe has accepted the work in all its details in his latest book3 The work of J. E. Johnson, Jr., has revolutionized

Jan 6, 1919

By Wilbur A. Nelson

All of our accounts say that the discovery of copper ore at Duck-town, Tenn., was made in August, 1843, yet it would appear that samples of copper from this district were found by DeSoto, when he wandered into southern Tennessee, in 1539, in his four years of exploration through the Southern States. The following quotation is taken from his diary: "Towards the north there was a province named Chisca; and that there was a melting of copper, and of another metall of the same colour, save that it was finer, and of a farre more perfect colour, and farre better to the sight, and that they used it not so much, because it was softer. And the selfe same thing was told the governor in Cutifa-Chiqui, where we saw some little hatchets of copper, which were said to have a mixture of gold. But in that part of the country it was not well peopled; and they said there were mountains, which the horses could not passe; and for that cause, the governor would not goe from Cutifa-Chiqui directly quicker." DeSoto sent two of his company to try to find these mines, but after five days' wandering through the mountains they returned, stating that their guides had become lost. Although the Ducktown area may have been known to the ancient Indians, the copper deposits were actually discovered in August, 1843, when a Mr. Lemmons, while panning for gold on Potato Creek, in the Ducktown basin, found some reddish-brown decomposed rock. His disgust on finding that this yellow metal was not gold was so great that he did not try to develop his find. In March, 1847, B. C. Dugger erected an iron forge at this same place, but was unable to work the iron as it contained so much copper that on cooling it would break to pieces. The finding of copper in the iron ore by Mr. Dugger led to further explorations; and in April, of the same year, A. J. Weaver, who was passing through that country, told the people that the black rocks they had dug out were rich copper ore. Mr. Weaver began the

Jan 1, 1925

By E. L. Davis

There have been many attempts to devise formulas for flowing efficiency and flow friction of oil-gas mixtures in oil-well flow tubes. Actually, however, flowing efficiency is rarely any real concern of the oil producer and flow-friction formulas contain so many unknown variables as to be of little, if any value. The production engineer is generally concerned with producing as much oil as possible with a minimum expense per barrel, and with the lowest possible net gas-oil ratio. These ends frequently are opposed to each other and the gas-oil ratio usually is sacrificed. In competitive operations, such as in town-lot fields, high current production is the sole interest. In conservative operation the greatest possible amount of oil obviously should be produced by natural flow unless the net formation gas-oil ratio can be improved by circulating gas. In practice this condition frequently exists. It would be a great advantage if the flowing condition of a well could be analyzed to determine the best possible producing status. Anticipating the death of a well so that gas-lift could be started immediately after the death, or preferably before, would save both production and expense. Frequently it happens that circulating gas fails to help a flowing well, or will not flow it after it has stopped flowing naturally. A knowledge of the laws governing flow would save considerable expense in testing such cases. A predetermination of probable pressures and amounts of circulating gas needed to flow wells and give best possible producing conditions would help in designing compressor installations. The optimum producing status of an oil well generally may be obtained by the conditions that subject the producing formations to the least possible back-pressure. This pressure is made up of the weight of the fluid column, frictional resistance to flow and the reaction from the acceleration of the fluid mass. A mathematical calculation of these components to arrive at a condition giving a minimum summation is impractical. Formulas would be complex and the results untrustworthy because it is impossible to assign proper values to the many variables involved.

Jan 1, 1931

but, returning to South Africa, for the next two years he was assistant general manager of the Simmer Deep Gold Mining Co., at Johannesburg. In June, 1911, he returned to New Zealand as general manager and consulting engineer for the Consolidated Goldfields of New Zealand, at Reefton, which position he held at the time of his admission to the 1nstitute in 1914. Early in September, 1915, he left New Zealand for active service in France. Corporal Sheppard B. Gordy Sheppard B. Gordy, born in Ansonia, Conn., in 1889, graduated from the Sheffield Scientific School in 1910 and with the degree of E. M. in 1912. He entered the employ of the Braden Copper Co. immediately on his graduation and remained with this company four years, working up through the various grades to assistant foreman and foreman to one of the individual mines. The last year he was in its employ, he acted as general mine foreman. He was for a short time with the Chile Exploration Co. and then went with the Andes Exploration Co. (Anaconda) and remained with the latter, doing mine exploration and development work, until he sailed for home in June, 1918, to give a more personal and active service to his country in her need. He declined a tender of induction into an officers' training camp, at the urgent request of Professor McClelland supplemented by Mr. Potter, because they demonstrated to his satisfaction that he could give more valuable service to his country in helping out with the aircraft production. Being within the draft age, in order to carry out this plan, it was necessary for him to be called by his Local Board and sent to camp. This call came Aug. 26. Two weeks before that time he had gone to Dayton, Ohio, to begin the study of aircraft production, and was sent by the Dayton Board to Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio, where he died of pneumonia on Oct. 9. Lieutenant Thomas Clarence Gorman Thomas C. Gorman, a lieutenant in the Second Tunnelling Company of the Canadian Engineers, was killed in France on Mar. 18, 1918. He was resting in his sleeping hut and was in the act of writing a letter when a bursting shell killed him.

Jan 1, 1920

By Charles Legrand

The problem of mine pumping is so much affected by local conditions, and those conditions are so liable to changes during the life of a mine, that the best system to use is difficult to determine. The experience of the writer has been that, in general, for copper mines, electric pumping is most satisfactory unless the quantity of water to be pumped is great or the mine does not use electric power for any other purpose. As a rule, however, figuring on the cost of necessary power plant, the total cost of installation is greater with electric pumps than steam pumps. As the water is liable to be gritty, outside-packed plunger pumps are to be recommended, and if the water is not acid, or only slightly so, chilled cast-iron plungers pay for their extra cost very quickly in diminished cost of packing. With chilled plungers it is possible to use metallic packing instead of soft packing, if the water is not too gritty or the lift too high. In vertical pumps this packing is satisfactory for lifts up to 400 ft., in the experience of the writer, and may be found satisfactory for higher lifts. For water slightly acid, cement-lined pump bodies have given good satisfaction. For acid water, both plungers and puhp bodies should be made of acid-resisting bronze. For high lifts, especially with gritty water, a satisfactory pump valve is difficult to find. To reduce the unbalanced pressure on the valve at time of opening it is advisable to have narrow seats; this, however, brings high pressures on the seats when the valve is closed. On large valves for lifts of 600 to 1,000 ft. we have used leather, hard rubber, vulcanized fiber, and soft brass; for clear water the latter has given best satisfaction. The difficulties due to grit make it advisable to have large sumps where water can settle, and if possible, to have two of them so that they can be cleaned alternately. At the mines of the Old Dominion Copper Mining & Smelting Co., Globe, it was found that a small air ejector discharging into a mine car provides a very convenient way to clean mud and sand from a sump.

Jan 1, 1916

but, returning to South Africa, for the next two years he was assistant general manager of the Simmer Deep Gold Mining Co., at Johannesburg. In June, 1911, he returned to New Zealand as general manager and consulting engineer for the Consolidated Goldfields of New Zealand, at Reefton, which position he held at the time of his admission to the Institute in 1914. Early in September, 1915, he left New Zealand for active service in France. Corporal Sheppard B. Gordy Sheppard B. Gordy, born in Ansonia, Conn., in 1889, graduated from the Sheffield Scientific School in 1910 and with the degree of E. M. in 1912. He entered the employ of the Braden Copper Co. immediately on his graduation and remained with this company four years, working up through the various grades to assistant foreman and foreman to one of the individual mines. The last year he was in its employ, he acted as general mine foreman. He was for a short time with the Chile Exploration Co. and then went with the Andes Exploration Co. (Anaconda) and remained with the latter, doing mine exploration and development work, until he sailed for home in June, 1918, to give a more personal and active service to his country in her need. He declined a tender of induction into an officers' training camp, at the urgent request of Professor McClelland supplemented by Mr. Potter, because they demonstrated to his satisfaction that he could give more valuable service to his country in helping out with the aircraft production. Being within the draft age, in order to carry out this plan, it was necessary for him to be called by his Local Board and sent to camp. This call came Aug. 26. Two weeks before that time he had gone to Dayton, Ohio, to begin the study of aircraft production, and was sent by the Dayton Board to Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio, where he died of pneumonia on Oct. 9. Lieutenant Thomas Clarence Gorman Thomas C. Gorman, a lieutenant in the Second Tunnelling Company of the Canadian Engineers, was killed in France on Mar. 18, 1918. He was resting in his sleeping hut and was in the act of writing a letter when a bursting shell killed him.

Jan 1, 1920

By Frederic Dewey

HAVING shown1 the difficulty of assaying so-called cyanide bullion and the extreme variations often found in the results, an investigation was undertaken to discover if possible the causes of these variations by a series of tests upon the specific action of various metals during cupellation. Zinc.-In order to test the effect of zinc, 48 assays were made in sets of 6, 2 rows of 3. The charge for the middle cupels consisted of 500+ mg. Au, 1,125 mg. Ag, 10 mg. Cu. To the end cupels 50, 75, 100 and 125 mg. Zn were added, and a set of each proportion was cupelled with 4 and 8 grants Pb. The cupels were assayed and showed the following gold contents in milligrams, the figures being arranged as the cupels stood in the muffle: TABLE 1 50 Mg. Zn 75 Dig. Zn 100 Mg. Zn 125 Mg. Zn 4 grams, Pb 0.2S 0.25 0.2S 0:29 0.27 0.34 0.33 0.28 0.41 0.31 0:30 0.36 0.30 0.33 0.34 0.31 0.31 0.29 0.35 0.37 0.42 0.41' 0.34 0.38 8 grams, Pb 0.40 0.43 0.42 0.38 0.36 0.43 0.35 0.34 0.41 0.33 0.37 0.37 0.54 0.17 0.59 0.44 0.43 0.43 0.38 0.39 0.41 0.57 0.38 0.46 _ In many instances the zinc does not appear to affect the cupel gold, but various exceptions are apparent, generally in the cupels in the back row. With 100 and 125 mg. Zn, in some cases the Zn burned with its characteristic flame before it could alloy with the other metals. Also, less fusible oxidized lumps were observed during the cupellation and some cupels showed a scum. In order to lessen the premature burning out of the Zn, an alloy of 2 parts Ag to 1 part. Zn was used. A uniform charge of 500,+ mg. Au,

Jan 7, 1917

By W. R. Finney

THE formation of scale in boilers and other industrial equipment, and the corrosion of such equipment, are closely related problems. Since in the petroleum industry these problems cover a very broad field, this paper has been confined to the effects of scale and corrosion on gas engines, compressors, pipes and fittings, used in plants extracting gasoline from natural gas, and the steps taken in arriving at a workable plan for combating these evils at the Midwest Refining Co.'s plants in the Salt Creek field, Wyoming. Eliminating, or at least minimizing, the many deleterious effects occasioned by the use of bad water in jackets and cooling systems of gas engines and compressors has been the subject of much study for many years but no generally accepted plan has been evolved. The problem was unusually difficult at Salt Creek, as the severe winters of Wyoming bring operating conditions quite different from those encountered in warmer states, and the water available was especially bad. While the conditioning of water to prevent scale and to lessen corrosion may not be a particularly difficult problem in plants in large industrial centers, it becomes much more difficult when attempted at plants remote from railroads and by men without previous experience to guide them. In fact this difficulty has been so great in the Wyoming oil fields that until comparatively recently it has been the practice to allow much equipment to be ruined rather than to attempt corrective measures. At the Midwest plants this problem was given attention first by the plant men and later by both plant men and laboratory staff. To the latter it was simply one of many problems which arise in connection with field and plant operations, which must be studied and, if possible, solved. Many mistakes were made during the course of this investigation, but since mistakes, properly interpreted, are of value in guiding one's steps aright, it is believed that a review of the different stages of development which have led up to the present method of handling this problem will prove of interest to the industry.

Jan 12, 1926

By H. J. Wasson, L. W. Mayer

The existing large stocks of raw materials have induced misgivings in the minds of many as to near-view prospects for a return to higher commodity price levels. Until stocks are materially reduced—and this operation will probably extend over a protracted period—a buyers' market will continue. Meanwhile the matter of production cost becomes more and more a factor of consequence to industrial management, finance and the investing public. With many commodities a general level of costs exists with which the public has been made familiar. Certain conditions surround these industries which, at the outset, determine whether there is a basis for sound commercial results. In other words, it can generally be determined in advance whether or not the cost of production is sufficiently below the normal average price to return a reasonable profit over the years. With all domestic agricultural products there are available exhaustive Government studies in the field of production costs. Such figures as the average cost of wheat, cotton, sugar, etc., are reiterated constantly. There are many products of foreign origin such as coffee, rubber, raw silk, etc., the production costs of which are to most of us matters of deep mystery. Forest products also are so diversified that few but specialists know what a thousand feet of lumber really cost at the mill, especially where remotely located. However, with respect to products of mines, production cost information has been widely disseminated. The literature is replete with such data. Here we find that without any special help from outside agencies the industry itself has given publicity to a large variety of cost figures. For example, we know, or know where we can ascertain, the cost of producing a pound of copper from Chile, Arizona or the Lake Superior district. In many cases we can secure from the company reports a vast amount of detail leading up to the cost per ton of ore and the cost per unit of the metal yield. These records are of great assistance to the mining industry as a means of estimating on new exploitations. This industry has been production-cost-minded almost from the beginning.

Jan 1, 1931

By Russell W. Mumford

LITHIA compounds have a place in pharmaceutical and other chemical industries and lithium minerals in glassmaking and ceramics. The metal, although rare, is used to a minor extent in alloys. During the nearly 50 years of production of lithium minerals in the United States, the silicate mineral spodumene has continued as the chief source of raw material for the manufacture of lithium salts. Although twice as much lepidolite, a lithium mica, has been mined, most of it has been used in the making of certain types of glass. Amblygonite has been an additional but minor source of lithium compounds. Triphylite, petalite, and zinnwaldite have also been utilized in the past. All of these commercial lithium minerals contain low percentages of lithium (Table 1). In 1938, a new raw material for manufacture of lithium compounds made its appearance. This product was crude dilithium sodium phosphate (Li2NaPO4), obtained as a by-product of manufacture of potash and soda chemicals from the brine of Searles Lake, California. Searles Lake, which is now dry, lies in the extreme northwest corner of San Bernardino County, California, and consists of a large mass of salts. It was estimated by the United States Geological Survey that the crystal body contained about 25 pct voids, which are filled with a saturated brine. The brine consists mainly of the sulphates, chlorides, carbonates, and borates of sodium and potassium. Several other acid radicals, including phosphates, are present. Lithium is present in the brine in an amount corresponding to 0.01 15 pct Li2O. In the course of evaporation of water from the brine, during the process of manufacture of sodium and potassium chemicals, dilithium sodium phosphate crystallizes out and is recovered by a flotation operation. The lithium concentrate is filtered and dried and is then ready for shipment. It analyzes from 19 to 21 pct Li2O and now constitutes the highest known grade of crude lithium material. It is and will continue to be a major source of lithium for manufacture of lithium products. The variation in lithia content of the commercial minerals as mined is due to replacement of the lithia by soda and potash, to partial alter-

Jan 1, 1949